S.K. Nicholls's Blog, page 36
September 24, 2014
Introducing: His Name Was Ben
From the award winning best selling author of “The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap” and new book, “His name was Ben” by Paulette Mahurin
Originally posted on :
My book just went live on Amazon paperback and Kindle for anyone interested in reading it. As with The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap profits are going to rescue dogs.
SYNOPSIS ON BACK COVER: SYNOPSIS Hearing the words “it’s cancer,” threw Sara Phillips’ life into chaos, until an unexpected turn of events and a chance encounter with a stranger changed everything—his name was Ben. Based on real events, Ben and Sara discover that when all else fails, healing can come in the most unexpected ways. Chilling and heart wrenching, His Name Was Ben is a triumph over the devastating circumstances and fear experienced when faced with a terminal illness. In this narrative, the power of love conquers shadows and transforms the very nature and meaning of what it is to be fully alive. From the award winning, best-selling author of, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, comes a…
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Not Too Late to Give Your Support
This won’t take but a second. No obligations. Nothing to buy. Show your support for an author.
Originally posted on Legends of Windemere:
There’s still 11 days left to reach the goal of 100 supporters. We’re at 44 and it’s been that way for the last 2 days. So I ask again for people to click on the picture below and give their social media support for Legends of Windemere!
Also, please spread the word to others and let’s see if we can meet that October 4th goal.
By Kayla Matt
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September 23, 2014
***** All Hallows at Eyre Hall ***** Kindle Countdown Deal
I have not read this yet, but loved Jane Eyre and am really looking forward to it. Now is the time to buy!
Originally posted on Rereading Jane Eyre :
I write novels, and I publish novels without the support of an agent or publisher, so I am a self-published author.
That means I do not write only for my own personal pleasure: I write for others.
In other words, I write, and research, and rewrite, and edit, and proofread, and format for kindle, and do all the paperwork involved, and commission a book cover, and publicise, and promote… because I’d like other people to read my novels.
We all know how hard it is to get noticed ‘out there’ in the immense universe of self-published and Publisher-published ebooks and print books.
So I’ve decided to try to make my book more visible and more attractive by taking part in a Kindle Countdown Deal, which will give readers the incentive to buy a low-cost book by an unknown author.
The USA Countown Deal runs from 22dn to 28th September, when it can be purchased for 0.99 cents.
The UK countdown offer…
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Sisters In Crime Blog Hop
I’ve been considering joining a writers’ organization. I have looked around at several that have chapters in Florida. Now that I have gotten fairly comfortable with the crime fiction genre, I am looking seriously at one in particular that has a stellar reputation for providing both support and assistance to both seasoned and newbie authors. Anyone interested can click here for the Sisters in Crime website.
Sisters in Crime formal mission statement:
“Sisters in Crime (SinC) is committed to helping women who write, review, buy, or sell crime fiction. Our ultimate goal is to become a service organization to address issues of concern to everyone involved in the mystery field.”
What they offer:
Our inSinC, the Sisters in Crime Quarterly
Our monthly SinC Links— a digest of “news you can use” about the mystery business
An interactive map to find our authors — Find a SinC Author
Sisters in Crime listserv, including special guests on “Mentor Mondays”
Regional chapters, including The Guppies, a support and critique group for unpublished writers
Discounts for Members – Gotham Writing Workshops and Writers’ Police Academy currently — Special Offers
A link on our website link to titles by Sisters in Crime authors via WorldCat, a global catalog of library collections
An institutional presence at national and regional book events, mystery conferences and festivals with opportunities for individual author participation and/or distribution of promotional materials
An on-going mystery review project that monitors media coverage of female and male authors, the Monitoring Project
Our blog written by board members and other distinguished SinC members
Reports from our annual publishers summit
Networking, mentoring, and fun!
I’ve looked around their website and I am impressed with the hands-on support they offer: there are clinics and workshops, seminars and conventions all over the country. Open to men and women, members can meet various law enforcement and public service officers, try on fire-fighter attire, meet and practice with forensics experts, study and learn together from a variety of resources.
They are huge and very well established representing authors and writers in everything from gritty, hard-boiled crime fiction to cozy, humorous, mysteries. You don’t have to be published yet to be a member. And the dues are reasonable.
I was recently tagged by a member, Sue Coletta, to participate in the SinC blog hop. Sue has written three novels, short stories, and long ago, children’s books. Her biggest passion has always been crime fiction. She gravitates toward longer works like thrillers, suspense, and mysteries rather than flash fiction or short fiction. However, she has penned a few short stories that might interest you.
You can find her Murder Blog here. In her crime writer blog, you can expect to find musings on life, novel excerpts, short stories, writing tips, research, and anything and everything in between.
Sue is a proud member of Sisters In Crime. She also is co-administrator and contributor to Prose & Cons on Blogger, an authors blog with twenty-four (and counting) traditionally published authors.
The blog hop runs through September. Here’s how it works. Pick one or more of the following and answer to the best of your ability. I picked three.
There are seven questions offered in the blog hop:
Which authors have inspired you?
Which male authors write great women characters? Which female authors write great male characters?
If someone said “Nothing against women writers, but all of my favorite crime fiction authors happen to be men,” how would you respond?
What’s the best part of the writing process for you? What’s the most challenging?
Do you listen to music while writing? What’s on your playlist?
What books are on your nightstand right now?
If you were to mentor a new writer, what would you tell her about the writing business?
I chose three:
Which authors have inspired you?
I have been inspired by so many. Faye Kellerman and Sue Grafton are two female crime writers I admire. They truly have made a mark in the male dominated field. Kellerman’s husband, John, and Michael Connelly are also favorites.
I am particularly fond of regional Florida authors Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen. Dorsey writes some of the most clever, comedic crime fiction I’ve ever read. I’m crazy about Serge and Coleman. Hiaasen has a knack for both adult and YA, with crazy characters like Skink. I also like how he works conservation efforts into his books.
Another fairly new indie author who writes Florida regional fiction I admire is Tim Baker and his character Ike. I’m impressed with his work and think he deserves a following to rival that of Dorsey and Hiaasen. Randy Wayne White is not so amusing but I love the Florida history and sense of place he writes into his crime fiction.
What’s the best part of the writing process for you? What’s the most challenging?
As a process, I love when the story gels in my head, when details start coming together and the characters begin to talk to me.
The most challenging thing for me is that I don’t type. Yes, I have written two novels and hundreds of thousands of words one key at a time. Unbelievable, I know, but I wasn’t of the keyboard generation. I don’t even text and can’t understand the attraction when you can actually speak to someone.
If you were to mentor a new writer, what would you tell her about the writing business?
Never give up on yourself. You have to be your biggest fan and believe in yourself. Write, rewrite, revise and then write some more. READ EVERYTHING. Sift through all of the so-called rules and see what applies to you and what doesn’t. Then surround yourself with wonderful, supportive people in the book business and share. Get beta readers and mentors, lend a hand. It’s truly a wonderful experience. Yes, it is work, but it is filled with reward and promise, if you never give up on yourself.
The Sinc blog hop requires that I pass the torch and I have tapped the lovely Marie Ann Bailey, another Florida writer who has her own brand of crime fiction in the works with three merry, or not so merry, widows. Marie is a writer, living with three cats, more yarn than she can knit up in a lifetime, with a dear husband who doubles as her best friend.
KNOCK ‘EM DEAD MARIE!
tags:
www.sistersincrime.org/BlogHop
Filed under: Writing Process/WIPs Tagged: blog hop, crime fiction, crime writers, Marie Ann Bailey, professional organization, SinC blog hop, Sisters in Crime, Sue Coletta, support group
Book Review: Occasional Soulmates by Kevin Brennan
I heard a great deal about Kevin Brennan’s writing talent, but had not read one of his books, yet. He offered ARCs to a few bloggers and I picked one up. I am telling you, I have really been missing something. This guy can write and write well! I am not such a fan of chicklit or romance, but this novel goes much deeper than that.
You can pick up Yesterday Road right now for the sale price of 99 cents. And while your at it, be sure to grab this one. You won’t be disappointed, I’m sure! You can get Occasional Soulmates in digital or paperback.
Book Review: Occasional Soulmates by Kevin Brennan
Dr. Sarah Phelan is creeping up on forty. Divorced and having given up on the .com method of securing a relationship, serendipity brings her a seemingly flawless specimen of a man, Dylan Cakebread. (Okay, nearly flawless.) She begins to pen her “relationship novel”.
Brennan is amazing at engaging the reader by having Sarah speak directly to us. This is a personal story that she, with her wit and charm, shares with us relating both her introspections and observations on her own behaviors, those of her new lover, and the people around her. The humor is sometimes subtle and sometimes jabs you right in the gut. There is an array of superficial and deep emotion that carries the reader along with laughter and tears as the kind and compassionate physician makes one discovery after another about herself and her soulmate…the ideal man of her dreams.
We cannot help but fall in love with the hapless doctor. We, too, can’t help but become infatuated with Dylan, until his unchecked character defects become clear. The ancillary characters are deeply developed as well. The subplots that are going on in the story are as profound as the story itself. The reader becomes fully aware that this is NOT a romance novel, but a neatly disguised examination of intrapersonal and interpersonal relations in general.
If you are looking for a read that is well-written, clever, and offers insightful and engaging appraisal of love, life and the pursuit of happiness, you will love this book. I highly recommend it.
5 Stars out of 5
I Made a Selfie with Kevin Brennan!
Originally posted on 1WriteWay:
Well, sort of. Actually, it’s a selfie of me with his new novel, Occasional Soulmates! And since it’s a selfie, the title is backwards. What did you expect from me? Perfection? I’m rusty, folks.
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Occasional Soulmates — hot off the presses!
Occasional Soulmates by Kevin Brennan is now on sale! Pick up your copy today. This is one sure to please!
Originally posted on WHAT THE HELL:
Occasional Soulmates is live, baby!
Get your ebook here ($3.99).
Get your paperback here (currently $8.99, regularly $9.99).
And don’t forget, for a little while longer, Yesterday Road is available for 99 cents. That means you can buy both Yesterday Road and Occasional Soulmates for under $5!
Here’s the UK listing, and here’s Amazon Canada. The rest of the world will have to do their own legwork.
Oh, and for you Nook and Kobo users, as I announced earlier, if you don’t want to buy the paperback, just purchase the ebook on Amazon and send your receipt to me at kevinbrennan520(at)gmail(dot)com. I will forward you a lovely EPUB edition you can read on your device.
Indie authors, as you well know, depend on the kindness of strangers (and even the not-so-strange) to help peddle their wares, so anything you can do to get some word-of-mouth going will…
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September 22, 2014
Old World and New World Florida
Being a bit of a history buff, I miss being in one of the thirteen original colonies. Our fair city of Orlando in Central Florida is not like the ones you see up north, along the Atlantic seaboard or on the coast. Our history beyond the orange groves, old ranches and fruit, flower, and vegetable farms is practically non-existent. There are only a handful of old buildings near the railroad tracks, Church Street Station. Old World Florida is not far away.
Florida really didn’t get very well settled until the advent of “refrigerated air” in the fifties. Air-conditioning brought hoards down and there was a boom in resorts being established. It became a vacation spot. The beaches have always been a draw, but the interior took even longer to develop.
The cool crystal clear springs, like Silver Springs where the movie and Tarzan series was filmed, all had resort communities established around them. Glass bottom boats were the rage.
The resorts spread from the panhandle to the Keys. Miami exploded into haven for the rich and famous. People from all over the country flocked to Florida and many retired here to avoid the cold winters. Snowbirds continue to winter over here, but millions have made Florida their permanent home.
The Orlando area was backwoods swamp country, cattle range and orange grove before Disney came to town. Much of the area was drained to make way for new development. An agricultural hub, many immigrants settled here after years of nomadic fruit and vegetable picking. The community is vastly culturally diverse.
Mansions sit next door to shacks all over the community.
As Orlando grew, with dozens of theme parks, the metropolitan area covered three counties. Everything is new. All the tall buildings, the condos, banks, towering office complexes, expressways and several hospitals were constructed in the past forty years. New World Florida found a foothold.
We have traffic issues that resulted from the population explosion and local government’s inability to keep up. But it is still a very pretty town. There are little parks and lakes galore. Florida is like a sponge with ponds and lakes on every corner. The terrain is flat and the only winding you see is when a road meanders around a lake. There are numerous enclaves of diverse populations with colorful open air markets, festivals and al fresco dining on artsy sidewalks that line the cobblestoned streets.
This next image is heading south on Orange Avenue directly through the center of downtown.
Here are a few photos of my favorite park on Lake Eola. It’s located in the center of town where you can dine overlooking the New World Florida cityscape. Yet, it maintains a tropical feel and enough cypress and palms to recall Old World Florida.
What is the history of your community?
Filed under: Fascinating Florida, History, Settings and Feature Articles on Naked Alliances Tagged: Central Florida, city, country, diversity, downtown, history, Lake Eola, New World Florida, Old World Florida, Orlando without the theme parks, population explosion in Florida, resorts, springs
Mañana!
Tomorrow I’ll be telling you about a new book. For the inside story you can read about the main character here.
Originally posted on WHAT THE HELL:
Well, everybody, tomorrow you get to meet my dear friend, Sarah Phelan. She’s the star of my new novel, Occasional Soulmates, and I thought I’d tell you a little bit about her before the formal introduction.
Sarah and I spent the better part of a year getting to know each other, so I think I’m pretty familiar with her portfolio. First of all, she’s a doctor — a family physician who can’t stand for people to feel badly. It seems to be hard-wired into her to do anything she can to help her patients, probably a trait she inherited from her father.
But she’s not your typical doctor, objective and efficient. She’s a tad eccentric, you might say. For instance, she carries a “Land of the Giants” lunchbox (above) as a purse. She drives her dad’s old Volvo though it’s become a bucket of bolts. Her taste in men…
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September 20, 2014
In anticipation of Occasional Soulmates: Get Yesterday Road for 99 cents!
Originally posted on WHAT THE HELL:
Starting today, you can snag a copy of Yesterday Road for 99 cents, if you haven’t already hopped on the bandwagon. And don’t forget, you can give it as a gift via Amazon. At this price, you can give a copy to everyone you know who has a Kindle! (Just an idea…)
This, of course, is to work everyone into a frenzy for the release of Occasional Soulmates on Tuesday. It will be available as an ebook for $3.99 and as a splendid little paperback for $9.99.
Meanwhile, enjoy this stellar guitar line-up, including the great Pat Martino, doing — what else? — “Road Song”:
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